Kelvin Sampson was almost kicked out of college basketball.

And he was a player-friendly Houston Rockets assistant coach when the University of Houston gave him a broken program that couldn’t even dream of the Final Four.

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Kelvin Sampson is 298-83 since taking over Houston[/caption]

Eleven years after ‘Cougars hire Kelvin Sampson’ headlines were barely noticed around the country, the best coach in the NCAA men’s tournament can triumph over March Madness just three hours away from the Coogs’ state-of-the-art home.

No. 1 seed UH (34-4) has won 17 consecutive games and is coming off a 19-point torching of Tennessee to earn a prized ticket to the Alamodome.

Beating top overall seed Duke (35-3) and expected NBA No. 1 draft pick Cooper Flagg is next on Sampson’s endless hardwood to-do list.

But effectively being the home team in a home-state Final Four is another pinnacle for Sampson and his relentless Coogs. 

“Coach is an absolute master at the consistency that he shows up day in and day out,” Houston assistant coach K.C. Beard exclusively told talkSPORT. 

“From observing him, being around him, his leadership is so based on how consistent he is every day.

“When he speaks at coaching clinics all the time, he tells them, ‘There’s three people that can never have a bad day: The head coach, your best player and your point guard.’ ”

An all-time sideline performance from Sampson on Saturday will send UH to the national championship.

Duke is favored and the loaded Blue Devils should win.

Jon Scheyer has emerged from Mike Krzyzewski’s legendary shadow to turn Kon Knueppel, Tyrese Proctor and Flagg into the premier offensive force in the sport.

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Sampson’s family culture at UH has turned the Cougars into national contenders[/caption]

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Cooper Flagg is two wins away from a national championship[/caption]

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The fiery Sampson must be at his best for Houston to beat top-seed Duke[/caption]

Duke averaged 92 points as it roared through the initial four rounds of March Madness, putting up 100 on No. 4 Arizona and beating No. 9 Baylor by 23.

But Houston also held Tennessee to 50 points, and Sampson Ball has produced the toughest defense in the country.

The best talent – and execution – will advance to the final. 

“Coach Scheyer has done a tremendous job, along with his staff, of evaluating players that play the style he wants to play,” Beard said.

“They’re so unselfish. You don’t see a lot of guys that take selfish shots, and that’s obviously refreshing in today’s college basketball. That’s going to certainly be a challenge for us. 

“We’re a team that relies on making teams feel uncomfortable. I think that’s going to be the chess match that will be taking place Saturday night.

“Can we make them uncomfortable? Can we speed them up a little bit?

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“And then obviously they’re going to have a plan to try to keep the ball ahead of our defense. And so it’s going to be a back and forth. We’ve got the number one offense (against) the number one defense – it’s really a special opportunity for both sides.”

Sampson was ahead of the curve in constant college recruiting at Indiana, then rebuilt his image as Kevin McHale’s assistant with the Rockets, becoming a coach trusted by James Harden. 

The Cougars turned their failing program over to Sampson in April 2014.

Beard was hired a month later as a video coordinator.

Seven NCAA Tournament appearances, Big 12 regular season and conference tournament titles, and two Final Fours have followed. 

“I grew up in a small town. I’m from a town of 1,700 people in Idaho,” Beard said. 

“I was watching Duke film … and getting stressed and thinking about, ‘Man, they are really good.’

“I just remembered, ‘Man, when I was 16, I would have died for this opportunity.’ 

“Just grateful to be a part of this, to get to work with coach Sampson for 11 years now, and learn from the best.

“And then this team, you can’t say enough about their resiliency, the way they play together, their toughness. It’s a special group for sure.”

NBA franchises, coaches and scouts will be zeroed in on Flagg, who grew up watching Larry Bird DVDs in a minivan and is one big life decision away from becoming a $100 million pro.

Sampson has spent more than a decade making the uncomfortable comfortable for Houston.

The best Cougars game he’s ever coached will have UH one win away from lifting a championship trophy in Texas.

“It’s going to be an awesome experience to have our fans there,” Beard said.

“Back in 2022, when we played Arizona (in San Antonio), that crowd really helped us. They gave us a lot of energy at key moments and allowed us to get off to a great start against Arizona. 

“Obviously, against Duke, getting off to a good start is going to be vital. 

“That’s something that’s going to be fun and something that’s going to be awesome, to have them down there.”